A helping hand to padayatris

February 02, 2017 07:48 pm | Updated 07:48 pm IST

DINDIGUL: Pilgrims especially ‘padayatris’ coming to the temple town during Thai Poosam festival on road will get legal help and attention of the police on their route thanks to a helping hand extended by the District Legal Service Authority.

“If the pilgrims faced any trouble - accident, theft, attack, missing valuables or persons – legal help is available. The DLSA has set up two legal aid clinics – one at Oddanchatram and another one before the court complex in Palani, both on Palani-Dindigul Highway, prime walkers route to Sri Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple.

Para legal volunteers will man these clinics between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. during all festival days between February 2 and 13 to assist pilgrims, said DLSA secretary C. Vijaya Kumar here on Thursday.

The police and revenue officials were busy in regulating massive crowd during the festival. Moreover, outstation pilgrims did not know how to proceed and where to contact and location of police station and hospitals. In case of emergency, these volunteers will help the affected pilgrims in lodging complaints with the police in case of a theft or man missing cases and arrange ambulance for those who met with accidents and help complete police formalities.

As a preventive measure, reflecting sticks were distributed to pilgrims walking during night hours on Palani-Dindigul Highway.

More than five lakh pilgrims visited the temple every year. The DLSA wanted to capitalise the occasion to create an awareness among pilgrims on legal help offered by the DLSA. The para-legal volunteers will distribute pamphlets explaining 11 kinds of free legal services offered by the DLSA to common man.

Principal District and Sessions Court Judge K. Murali Shankar inaugurated the centre at Oddancahtram and in Palani on Thursday evening.

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